Save our strawberries

We need to make sure our bee populations are healthy or our strawberries may suffer

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vintage strawberry

A british summer without strawberries would be unthinkable. However, the charity Adopt-a-hive warns that strawberry plants, which rely on bees and other insects to transfer pollen, could be adversely affected by plummeting bee numbers-a recent survey showed that one in five children had never seen a bee in the wild.

The varroa mite has been blamed, as have insecticides, including the controversial neo-nicotinoids. ‘In Britain, pollination is worth about £200 million a year,' explains Adopt-a-hive founder Tony Gray. ‘Without pollinating insects, we wouldn't have any fruit.' Last year, scientists at the University of Reading warned that the price of a 10-strawberry punnet at Wimbledon could soar by some 84% to £4.14 if crops had to be hand-pollinated.

However, producers are keen to stress that the current crop is thriving. ‘We have a plentiful supply at the moment, and it's very high quality, due to the cooler weather,' says Richard Harnden of British Summer Fruits, which represents 85% of UK berry growers.

Adopt-a-Hive is urging gardeners to choose native plants instead of exotic imports, to use bold colour combinations and grouping flowering plants together in clusters.

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Emma Hughes lives in London and has spent the past 15 years writing for publications including the Guardian, the Telegraph, the Evening Standard, Waitrose Food, British Vogue and Condé Nast Traveller. Currently Country Life's Acting Assistant Features Editor and its London Life restaurant columnist, if she isn't tapping away at a keyboard she's probably taking something out of the oven (or eating it).